Rail-joint.



N0. 798,213. PATENTED AUG. 29, 1 905.

T. RBFSUM. RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION TILED 0GT.24,1904.

1g 5 7 w////////////////z 7 5 9 I 6 3S4 ihmm 165 3 mm,

' KKK THOMAS REFSUM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1905.

Application filed October 24, 1904. Serial No. 229,719.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs REFSUM, a subject of the King of Sweden andNorway. and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to rail joints or connectionswhich occur in tracks for steam-railways, electric railways, tram-roads,or the like.

It consists more particularly in the combination with the rail ends ofnovel fish-plates, which are connected and bridged to support the endsof the rails and which are also provided with nut-locking devices.

The objects of this invention are to provide a rail-joint which will beeconomical in construction, which may be readily applied to the ends ofthe rails, which will securely and rigidly hold and support the ends ofthe rails in position, and which may also be removed for further use inmaking a new connection after one set of rails have become worn.

I have illustrated a preferred form of my device in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improvedrail-joint embodying this invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional end viewof the device as shown in Fig. 1.

According to this invention the ends of the rails 3 and 4 are joined andsecurely held by means of laterally-connected fish-plates, or rather animproved connecting device 5. This device comprises two fish-plates orside pieces 6, which are adapted to fit in between the heads and theflanges of the rails 3 and 4:. These plates are provided withlongitudinal flanges 7, which rest upon the upper sides of therailflanges and extend somewhat beyond the same. These flanges 7 areprovided at the center with depending U-shaped supports 8, which areconnected by means of a plate 9, which is adapted to support the ends ofthe rails 3 and 4:. The entire joining device and end support for therails is preferably made integral, and the U-shaped supports are formedto allow a certain flexibility of the side plates, so that the lattermay be brought into intimate contact with the rails. I prefer to makethis device of cast-steel; but any other suitable material may also beemployed. A further important feature consists in the narrow lugs orclips 10, which are arranged at either side of the nuts 11 of thefastening-bolts 12, the lugs being adapted to form substantialnut-locks. It is apparent that when the nut has been drawn to positionone of the lugs 10 may be bent in to engage with said nut to prevent itsturning. When it is desired to disconnect the rails, this lug can bebent out to release the nut. The remaining lug may then be used forlocking the nut when the device is again used in making a new joint.

The operation of this device will be readily understood from thedrawings. The connecting device 5 is preferably cast with the platessomewhat farther apart than when in normal position. The device is firstbrought into engagement with the end of one of the rails and the boltsinserted, when the other rail may be slipped into position and theremaining bolts put in place. When the bolts have been tightened and thelugs bent over to lock the nuts, a rigid and substantial joint will beformed, with the ends of the rails supported in a desirable manner bythe cross-plate 9.

Having thus described my invention, which I do not wish to limit to theexact details shown and described, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. A rail-joint, comprising suitable plates havingprojectingflanges,dependingU-shaped supports from said flanges, and across-plate formed integrally with said supports and adapted to supportthe ends of the rails.

2. The combination with the ends of two rails, of joint-plates havingprojecting flanges, depending U-shaped supports integrally connectedwith said flanges, and a lateral plate engaging with the bottoms of theends of said rails, also integrally connected with the upturned portionsof said supports, and bolts or the like connecting said joint-plates andsaid rails.

3. In a combined rail-joint and nut-lock, the combination with suitablefish-plates having a lateral integral connecting-plate, of lugs formedintegrally with said fish-plates and adapted to be bent to engage withthe nuts of l with said flanges, and projecting lugs adapted suitableconnecting-bolts to prevent said nuts l to be bent to engage with theends or nuts of from becoming loosened. suitable connecting-bolts.

4:. In a combined rail-joint and nut-lock, THOMAS REFSUM. 5 thecombination of connecting side plates hav- Witnesses: ing projectingflanges, a bridge for support- ANTON SKOFSRUD, ing the ends of the railsresiliently connected WILLIAM H. DUVAL.

